The 22 big, named cards in a standard tarot deck (usually numbered 0–21) that show major themes and life lessons, not linked to any suit.

The 56 cards divided into four suits. They focus on everyday life and include both pip (number) cards and court (people) cards.

A group of cards in the Minor Arcana that share a theme. In many modern decks: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles.

The 10 number cards in each suit (Ace–10). They show stages or situations related to that suit’s theme.

The four "people" cards in each suit (often Page, Knight, Queen, King). They often represent people, roles, or personality styles.

One of the four suits, commonly linked to feelings, relationships, and emotional life.

A subgroup of the Minor Arcana sharing a common theme. In many modern decks these are Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles.

One of the four suits, commonly linked to energy, action, motivation, and creativity.

One of the four suits, commonly linked to thoughts, decisions, conflict, and communication.

Inside a 78-Card Tarot Deck: Major, Minor, and the Suits — Foundations of Tarot: History, Structure, and the Major Arcana Journey

Step 1: Meet the 78-Card Tarot Deck

The Standard 78-Card Deck

Most modern tarot decks use a 78-card structure. This has become the most common format used for reading, teaching, and publishing tarot today.

Two Big Groups

The 78 cards split into two main parts:

22 Major Arcana
56 Minor Arcana

Think of them as the "big story" cards and the "everyday life" cards.

Why 78 Matters

Across the world, most decks follow this 78-card pattern, even if the art changes. When people say "standard tarot deck" in 2026, they almost always mean this 78-card system.

What You Will Learn

You will learn to:

Tell Major from Minor
Understand the four suits
See how court and number cards fit into the whole system.

Step 2: The Major Arcana – The Big Story Cards

What Are the Major Arcana?

The Major Arcana are 22 "headline" cards. They show big, symbolic scenes and usually feel more dramatic or important than the other cards.

Numbers and Names

Major Arcana cards:

Are usually numbered 0–21
Have names instead of suits, like The Fool, The Magician, The Lovers, Death, The Sun, The World.

A Life Story

You can see the Majors as a life story: The Fool (0) starts a journey, meets lessons and challenges, and reaches The World (21), a sense of completion.

How to Recognize Them

Major Arcana cards often:

Use Roman numerals
Have big, bold images
Do not belong to a suit like Wands or Cups.

Step 3: The Minor Arcana – Everyday Life Cards

What Are the Minor Arcana?

The Minor Arcana are the other 56 cards. They deal with everyday situations instead of big life themes.

How They Are Organized

The 56 Minor Arcana cards are split into four suits. Each suit has:

10 number cards (Ace–10)
4 court cards (like a small family).

Everyday Focus

Minor cards often show ordinary moments: working, talking, resting, celebrating, learning. They show change step by step from Ace to 10.

Comparing Major and Minor

If a school year were a tarot deck:

Major Arcana = big events (graduation, moving).
Minor Arcana = daily classes, homework, and friendships.

Step 4: The Four Suits and Their Everyday Focus

The Four Suits

The 56 Minor Arcana cards are split into four suits:

Wands
Cups
Swords
Pentacles (or Coins/Disks/Stones).

Wands: Energy and Action

Wands focus on action, energy, and motivation. Picture sticks or staffs. They relate to projects, passion, and what fires you up.

Cups: Feelings and Relationships

Cups focus on emotions and relationships. Picture cups or bowls. They relate to feelings, friendships, love, and emotional connection.

Swords: Thoughts and Words

Swords focus on thoughts and communication. Picture blades. They relate to ideas, decisions, debates, and problem-solving.

Pentacles: Body and Material Life

Pentacles (Coins) focus on the material world. Picture coins or disks. They relate to money, work, health, home, and practical tasks.

Different Names, Same Roles

Some decks rename suits (like Flames instead of Wands), but they usually keep the same four life areas: energy, emotions, thoughts, and material life.

Step 5: Number (Pip) Cards – Ace Through Ten

What Are Pip Cards?

Each suit has 10 number cards: Ace–10. These are called pip cards, a term borrowed from playing cards.

A Growing Story

In each suit:

Ace is a beginning.
2–9 show growth and change.
10 is a full situation or peak of that suit's energy.

Examples from Wands and Cups

Examples:

Ace of Wands: a new idea or project.
10 of Wands: many tasks, maybe overload.
Ace of Cups: new feelings.
10 of Cups: emotional fulfillment.

Pictures, Not Just Symbols

Most modern decks show scenes on pip cards, not only suit symbols. This style became common with the Rider-Waite-Smith deck and is still widespread in 2026.

Step 6: Court Cards – The "People" of Each Suit

The Court Cards

Each suit has 4 court cards, often:

Page
Knight
Queen
King

They are like the "people" or characters of the deck.

14 Cards Per Suit

Each suit contains:

10 pip cards (Ace–10)
4 court cards (Page, Knight, Queen, King)

This makes 14 cards per suit, and 56 Minor Arcana cards total.

What Court Cards Represent

Court cards can show:

People
Roles or attitudes
Stages of maturity in that suit's energy (beginner to leader).

Easy Personality Ladder

Simple way to see them:

Page: beginner or student
Knight: active doer
Queen: inner mastery, caring
King: outer leadership, responsibility

Different Names, Same Idea

Some modern decks rename the courts (like Daughter, Son, Mother, Father), but they still show four levels of "person" in each suit.

Step 7: Sort the Deck in Your Mind (Quick Exercise)

Use this short thought exercise to practice spotting where each card belongs in the 78-card structure.

Imagine you are holding a tarot card. Read each description and decide:

Is it Major Arcana or Minor Arcana?
If Minor, which suit and is it pip or court?

A card called "The Moon" with a Roman numeral and no suit name.

Your answer: Major or Minor?

A card labeled "7 of Swords" showing a person carrying several swords.

Your answer: Which suit? Pip or court?

A card labeled "Queen of Cups" showing a figure on a throne with a cup.

Your answer: Which suit? Pip or court?

A card called "The Fool" labeled 0, showing a traveler near a cliff.

Your answer: Major or Minor?

A card labeled "Ace of Pentacles" showing a large coin or disk.

Your answer: Which suit? Pip or court?

Check your thinking:

The Moon → Major Arcana (named card, no suit).
7 of Swords → Minor Arcana, Swords suit, pip card.
Queen of Cups → Minor Arcana, Cups suit, court card.
The Fool → Major Arcana (card 0, no suit).
Ace of Pentacles → Minor Arcana, Pentacles suit, pip card.

If you got some wrong, reread the steps on Major vs Minor, suits, and pip vs court. You are training your brain to see the structure quickly.

Step 8: Quick Check – Major, Minor, and Suits

Test your understanding of the 78-card structure.

Which statement correctly describes the standard 78-card tarot structure used in most modern decks?

22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards divided into four suits, each suit having 10 pip cards and 4 court cards.
56 Major Arcana cards and 22 Minor Arcana cards divided into four suits, each suit having 14 pip cards and no court cards.
78 Major Arcana cards only, no suits, all cards are named like The Fool, The Magician, and so on.
22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards, but only three suits and no court cards.

Show Answer

Answer: A) 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards divided into four suits, each suit having 10 pip cards and 4 court cards.

Most modern tarot decks use 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana. The 56 Minor are divided into four suits, and each suit has 10 number (pip) cards and 4 court cards, for a total of 14 cards per suit.

Step 9: Walk Through a Whole Suit (Example with Cups)

Cups: The Emotion Suit

The Cups suit focuses on feelings, relationships, and emotional connection. We will use Cups to see how a whole suit is structured.

Cups Pip Cards (Ace–10)

Typical scenes:

Ace: one overflowing cup (new feelings)
2: two people sharing cups (partnership)
3: a small group celebrating
10: a family under a rainbow of cups (fulfillment).

Cups Court Cards

Cups courts:

Page of Cups: curious, dreamy beginner
Knight of Cups: romantic or emotional messenger
Queen of Cups: deeply in touch with feelings
King of Cups: balances emotion and responsibility.

A Mini-System Inside the Deck

All 14 Cups cards form a mini-system:

One theme: emotions and relationships
Pip cards: stages and situations
Court cards: people and personalities.

The Pattern Repeats

The same 14-card pattern appears in Wands, Swords, and Pentacles. This repeating structure is a key reason the 78-card system is so widely used today.

Step 10: Review Key Terms

Flip these flashcards in your mind (or write them out) to review the core ideas from this module.

Major Arcana: The 22 big, named cards in a standard tarot deck (usually numbered 0–21) that show major themes and life lessons, not linked to any suit.
Minor Arcana: The 56 cards divided into four suits. They focus on everyday life and include both pip (number) cards and court (people) cards.
Suit: A group of cards in the Minor Arcana that share a theme. In many modern decks: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles.
Pip Cards: The 10 number cards in each suit (Ace–10). They show stages or situations related to that suit’s theme.
Court Cards: The four "people" cards in each suit (often Page, Knight, Queen, King). They often represent people, roles, or personality styles.
Wands: A suit usually linked to action, energy, and motivation. Often pictured as sticks or staffs.
Cups: A suit linked to feelings, relationships, and emotional connection. Often pictured as cups or bowls.
Swords: A suit linked to thoughts, decisions, and communication. Often pictured as swords or blades.
Pentacles (Coins): A suit linked to the material world: money, work, health, and home. Often pictured as coins, disks, or stones.
Standard 78-Card Structure: The most common modern tarot format: 22 Major Arcana + 56 Minor Arcana (four suits, each with 10 pip cards and 4 court cards).

Key Terms

Cups: One of the four suits, commonly linked to feelings, relationships, and emotional life.
Suit: A subgroup of the Minor Arcana sharing a common theme. In many modern decks these are Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles.
Wands: One of the four suits, commonly linked to energy, action, motivation, and creativity.
Swords: One of the four suits, commonly linked to thoughts, decisions, conflict, and communication.
Pentacles: One of the four suits (also called Coins, Disks, or Stones), commonly linked to money, work, health, and the material world.
Pip Cards: The number cards in each suit, from Ace to 10, which show stages or situations related to that suit’s theme.
Court Cards: The four "people" cards in each suit (often Page, Knight, Queen, King) that represent people, roles, or personality styles.
Major Arcana: The 22 named tarot cards (usually numbered 0–21) that represent major themes, turning points, or life lessons, and are not part of any suit.
Minor Arcana: The 56 tarot cards that belong to four suits and focus on everyday experiences. Each suit has 10 pip cards (Ace–10) and 4 court cards.
Standard 78-Card Deck: The most widely used modern tarot structure: 78 cards total, made of 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana divided into four suits.